Passerina cyanea
Silhouette: Jonah Duckles · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) is a small seed-eating bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. The indigo bunting is closely related to the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap.
The indigo bunting is a small bird, measuring 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in) in length. It displays sexual dimorphism in its coloration; the male is vibrant blue in the summer, with brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. It is brown during the winter months, while the female is brown year-round. Nest-building and incubation are done solely by the female. The diet of the indigo bunting consists primarily of insects during the summer months and seeds during the winter months.
The indigo bunting is included in the family Cardinalidae, which is made up of passerine birds found in North and South America, and is one of seven birds in the genus Passerina... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Parque Zoológico de León - Zooleón | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Parque museo La Venta | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Texas State Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Indigo Bunting sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 2,331 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 58th most-seen of the 302 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Indigo Bunting in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and November–March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indigo Bunting sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 33 cities where we can rate Indigo Bunting sightings, Houston ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Chicago (United States, about 10%) and San Pedro Sula (Honduras, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indigo Bunting is recorded against all the birds logged in Houston (2,331 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
